The first time the Klingon language is spoken inStar Trekmight surprise you. The existence of the Klingon language was first mentioned inStar Trek: The Original Series’classic episode “The Trouble With Tribbles”. Klingon commander Korax (Michael Pataki) taunts Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) by comparing the USS Enterprise to a garbage scow and insisting that “half the quadrant [is] learning to speak Klingonese”. This implies thatStar Trek: The Original Series’Klingons, like Kor (John Colicos) and Koloth (William Campbell), can speak English with ease, instead of relying on the Universal Translator to communicate with Starfleet officers.
Since then, the Klingon language has appeared inStar Trekwith astonishing regularity. Klingon phrases have been in nearlyeveryStar TrekshowsinceStar Trek: The Next Generation.Sometimes, like inStar Trek: Deep Space Nine,the spoken Klingon isn’t subtitled, making these scenes a treat forStar Trekfans who have studied the Klingon language. But the Klingon language didn’t spring into existence fully-formed, and it certainly wasn’t always the cultural phenomenon that it is today. In fact, not a single word of Klingon was spoken duringStar Trek: The Original Seriesat all.
The Klingon Language Is Spoken For The First Time In Star Trek: The Motion Picture
But Klingon Wasn’t Fully Developed Until Star Trek III: The Search For Spock
We hear the Klingon language spoken for the first time inStar Trek: The Motion Picture(1979). The words used in the film were created by James Doohan and associate producer Jon Povill. Along with theKlingon makeup redesign,the few phrases in the Klingon language fromThe Motion Picturewere enough to define Klingons as more distinctly alienthan inStar Trek: The Original Series.Later, whenStar Trek III: The Search for Spockneeded a more robust Klingon language, linguist Marc Okrand developed a bigger vocabulary based on Doohan’s phrases, and codified Klingon syntax.
According toStar Trek: Enterprise’s Hoshi Sato (Linda Park), Klingon has eighty dialects, which can account for the differences in the Klingon language between differentStar Trekseries, like the version of Klingon inStar Trek: Discovery.
Given the state of relations between the Klingon Empire and the Federation at the time ofStar Trek: The Original Series, it’s not surprising that most Starfleet officers weren’t well-versed in speaking Klingon. BecauseStar Trekis told from the Federation’s point of view,we start to hear more Klingon spoken inStar Trekas the Federation learns more about Klingon culture. The fact that the Klingon language was first spoken inStar Trek: The Motion Pictureis, perhaps unintentionally, foreshadowing how the Klingon Empire and the Federation later broker peace inStar Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
Klingon Is A Full-Fledged Language In Star Trek & In Real Life
Klingon is the most widely-spoken fictional language in the world, and being able to speak it is a badge of honor amongStar Trekfans. After Marc Okrand continued developing the Klingon language for laterStar Trekmovies, otherStar Trekwriters have also come up with their own words and phrases as new scripts call for them. Most of the Klingon language as it exists today is based on Okrand’s work, butany spoken Klingon that appears on-screen is considered official.Inventions that don’t follow Okrand’s rules are irregularities that make Klingon a more realistic, truly living language.
nuqneH
A traditional greeting, literally “what do you want?”
majQa'
nuqDaq ‘oH puchpa'‘e’
Where is the bathroom?
It is a good day to die.
wej Duj
The title ofStar Trek: Lower Decksseason 2, episode 9, meaning “three ships”
Klingon is a well-developed language that has a thriving real-life subculture, with its own versions of classical literature, pop music, and, of course, performers who stage plays “in the original Klingon”. TheKlingon Language Instituteis dedicated to teaching and promoting the Klingon language, but you’re able to also learn Klingon on Duolingo or use Google Translate’s Klingon option. Some vocabulary words without exact translations, like cha’DIch, petaQ, and Qapla’, are generally understood by fans due to being used so much. Turns out Korax was right: half the quadrant—or at leastStar Trekfans—didlearn to speak Klingonese.
Star Trek
Star Trek is one of pop culture’s biggest multimedia franchises, spanning multiple movies, TV shows, books, comics, video games, and various other media. The franchise was created by Gene Roddenberry and started with the 1960s TV series starring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Over the decades, several equally popular series have come out since as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Discovery.
